1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to process coordinating systems, information processing apparatuses, and computer-readable recording media storing an information processing program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Distribution technologies are known by which image data that have been scanned or received via fax are distributed to a server or attached to a mail message for transmission. The distributed image data may be edited or viewed by using a system adapted to a data format of the image data.
For example, consider an order receiving/placing operation using fax. First, an image forming apparatus distributes an order receipt for a product received via fax to a file server in the form of electronic data. The file server receives the distributed electronic data, and then opens an electronic file by using image editing software, for example. Thereafter, the electronic file may be transmitted via fax after a seal selected by a user is affixed onto the electronic file.
Various technologies for improving the efficiency of operation of the above scan solution or fax solution have been proposed. The scan solution and the fax solution are examples of distribution solutions. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-166595 discusses a technology whereby document data with first metadata embedded is printed on a sheet of paper, a predetermined process is performed on the printed sheet, and then the paper document is scanned to obtain a scan image. Various information items may be acquired at the time of scanning as second metadata, and a predetermined process is then performed depending on the paper document.
The above related art assumes the existence of a paper document and involves the printing of the metadata-embedded document at least once. However, in view of the increasing attention focused on paperless operations in recent years, there is a demand for the improvement of efficiency of the distribution solution for a paperless operation.
In a distribution solution, distributed data may be edited in an information processing apparatus and then distributed to a distribution destination. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a distribution system in which data distributed by the scan solution or the fax solution (MFP) is received by an information processing apparatus (PC). The information processing apparatus may edit the received data and then distribute the edited data to a document managing system of a distribution destination or transmit the data via fax by the fax solution.
In such a case, the distributing system and the system that processes the distributed data (“the distributed system”) are often developed separately, resulting in a lack of coordination between the distributing system and the distributed system.